Shoe-tip clamp.



m. mama. Patented Dec. 23. I902.

I R. E. wooumu.

SHOE TIP CLAMP.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I;

WITNESSES: '[NI ENTOR q w amgk m Ame No. 716,608. Patented Dec. 23, I902.

R. E. WOOLMAN.

SHOE TIP CLAMP.

( Application filed Jan. 20, 1902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet WITNESSES.-

Urvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFrca ROBERT E. WOOLMAN, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

SHOE-TIP CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,608, dated December 23, 1902. Application filed January 20, 1902. Serial No.90,454. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. WooLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan, State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Tip Clamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to holding devices or clamps for shoe tips, linings, tops, stays, and other parts of shoes; and it has for its object to provide a simple and cfficient device of this nature in which a number of duplicate parts may be securely held, thus doing away with tying with twine, as is usual, which method is slow and is further objectionable in that the twine cannot be used a second time. With the present invention, the specific structure of which is modified to accommodate the different parts, the parts are held securely, but in such manner that they may be easily and quickly inserted and removed, the clamp or holder being used repeatedly until entirely worn out.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the clamp formed to hold tips, the clampingarms thereof being shown in active positions. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the clamp orholder with a series of tips held therein. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the clamping-arms. Fig. 4 is a top plan View showinga modification. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the modified form of clamping-arm. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the present clamp or holder comprises a two-part base, including the two similar members 5 and 6, each of which has a broadened end portion 7 and 8, respectively, which is slit longitudinally, so that there are formed the two tongues 9 and 10, the memhere being of elastic material, so that the tongues are spring-tongues. The metal at each side of each of the spring-tongues is rolled to form the two transverse alinin g tubular bearings 11 and 12 on each of the members 5 and 6, the rolling of the metal in the formation of these tubular bearings resulting also in permitting the spring-tongues to project beyond the bearings, as illustrated.

In connection with each of the members 5 and 6 there is employed a clamping-arm 13, which in the present instance is shown as formed of a single wire and is of quadrilateral form, with two of the sides 15 and 16 parallel and lying transversely of the memher. The side 15 includes both end portions of the wire, and these end portions are bent to aline and extend toward each other and are engaged in the tubular bearings, as shown in Fig. l. The extremities of the wire are taken inwardly beyond the inner ends of their respective bearings, and one end is then bent laterally at right angles, so that when the arms are in the positions shown in Fi 1 of the drawings the laterally-bent portions or fingers l7 and 18 will press against and displace the tongue of the corresponding memher 5 and 6 to place the tongue under tension, the tension of the tongue acting to hold the clamping-arms against the tips, as shown in Fig. 2.

The two members 5 and 6 are slidably connected, so that the relative positions of the clamping-arms may be adjusted to compensate for different widths of articles to be held. To hold the members 5 and 6 slidably, they are disposed one against the other and have cars 20 formed at their outer edges, the ears of each member being bent to lie upon the outer face of the other member.

To limit the outward movement of the members 5 and 6 correlatively, the member 5 has a struck-up portion or boss 22, adjacent to its narrowed end, and this boss engages a groove 23 in the member 6, formed by striking up the central portion of member 6 on a central line. When the members 5 and 6 are drawn outwardly to their limit, the free end of the boss strikes the end wall of the groove and limits the movement of the members.

With this construction it will be seen that the holder or clamp comprises only four parts and that it is cheap and easy of manufacture and may be made of inexpensive material. Further, it will be understood that in practice the clamping-arm may be of any desired specific shape to facilitate holding special forms and that other modifications may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings there is shown a modification of the invention, wherein one member of the base has the transverse alining tubular bearings 31 and 32, corresponding to those of the members 5 and 6, and an intervening spring tongue 33, the members 30 and 34 being connected adj ustably in the same manner as shown in the construction above described. The second member 34, however, while having the transverse spaced bearings 35 and 36, has no intervening tongue, the bearings projecting beyond the end of the member and being separated by an interspace, as shown. member 34 of the base is employed a clamping-arm 37, formed of a single wire including spaced members 38 and39 and a connecting portion, as shown, the free ends of the members being bent toward each other at right angles and continued until they touch and being then bent in the same direction and at right angles to the plane of the members 38 and 39 and their connecting portion. The rearwardly-bent ends 40 and 41 of the members when the arm is at a right angle to the member 34 lie against the under side of the member 34 and act as a stop to prevent farthcr outward movement of the arm, while permitting movement thereof toward the base into clamping position. This arm is specially designed for use in connection with certain portions of the shoe. In connection with a second member of the base there is employed a clamping-arm, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, wherein the extremities of the wire In connection with the of which the arm is made are bent at right angles, but in the plane of the arm, so that they may engage the spring-tongue 33 and place it under tension in the same manner in which the spring-tongues 9 and 10 are engaged by the portions 17 and 18 of Fig. 1, the spring-tongue 33 holding the clampingarm yieldably in clamping position.

What is claimed is 1. A device of the class described comprising a base including adjustably-connected members, a clamping-arm mounted upon each member for movement toward and away therefrom, into and out of operative position, and means for holding the clamping-arms yieldably in active positions.

2. A device of the class described comprising a base including adjustably-connected members, and clamping-arms mounted upon the members and movable toward and away from each other into and out of clamping relation to the base.

3. A device of the class described comprising a base including two members slidably connected and each having its outer end slotted to form a tongue, each member being bent at each side of its tongue to form a tubular bearing, and an arm engaged with the bearings of each member and having a projecting portion disposed to engage the adjacent tongue and place it under tension when the arm is moved to clamping position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT E. WOOLMAN.

Witnesses O. LAIRD, J. SEITZ. 

